The Buckeye Sheriffs Association, Ohio Prosecuting Attorneys Association, Ohio Chiefs of Police, Ohio Judicial Conference and others are opposed to State Issue 1, “To Reduce Penalties for Crimes of Obtaining, Possessing, and Using Illegal Drugs”. If approved Issue 1 will:
• Mandate that criminal offenses of obtaining, possessing, or using any drug such as fentanyl, heroin, methamphetamine, cocaine, LSD, and other controlled substances cannot be classified as a felony, but only a misdemeanor.
• Prohibit jail time as a sentence for obtaining, possessing, or using such drugs until an individual’s third offense within 24 months.
Allow an individual convicted of obtaining, possessing, or using any such drug prior to the effective date of the amendment to ask a court to reduce the conviction to a misdemeanor, regardless of whether the individual has completed the sentence.